page_title: Vice
section_title: Christianity
hierarchical_section_title: Vice / Religion / Christianity
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Stiftskirche Niederhaslach: Glasfenster im nördlichen Seitenschiff Kampf der Tugenden mit dem LasterEnglish: Niederhaslach Collegiate Church: Stained glass window in the north aisle The fight between virtues and vicesFrançais&#160;: Alsace, Bas-Rhin, Niederhaslach, Collégiale St-Florent: Verrière de la nef (baie 15) "Vertus et vices": Pureté-impureté, Amour de Dieu-amour du monde, Générosité-avarice, Humilité-orgueil, Simplicité-fourberie, Discrétion-bavardage, Louange-calomnie, Justice-injustice, Sagesse-folie, Foi-méfiance, Espoir-désespoir, Patience-Impatience; (G-D en descendant)
context_page_description: Vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, or degrading in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhealthy habit. Vices are usually associated with a transgression in a person's character or temperament rather than their morality. Synonyms for vice include fault, sin, depravity, iniquity, wickedness, and corruption.
  The opposite of vice is virtue.
context_section_description: Christians believe there are two kinds of vice:
  Vices that come from the physical organism as instincts, which can become perverse (such as lust)
  Vices that come from false idolatry in the spiritual realm
  The first kind of vice, though sinful, is believed less serious than the second. Vices recognized as spiritual by Christians include blasphemy (holiness betrayed), apostasy (faith betrayed), despair (hope betrayed), hatred (love betrayed), and indifference (scripturally, a "hardened heart"). Christian theologians have reasoned that the most destructive vice equates to a certain type of pride or the complete idolatry of the self. It is argued that through this vice, which is essentially competitive, all the worst evils come into being. In Christian theology, it originally led to the Fall of Man, and, as a purely diabolical spiritual vice, it outweighs anything else often condemned by the Church.
caption: Virtues fighting vices, stained glass window (14th century) in the Niederhaslach Church
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